The Trump administration is threatening to pull federal transit funding from Chicago unless the city strengthens security following an attack in which a man allegedly set a woman on fire on a commuter train in November.
Governor J.B. Pritzker’s office accused President Trump of politicising the tragedy while failing to make Illinois safer. Federal Transit Authority Administrator Marc Molinaro sent a letter to Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson demanding an updated safety plan by December 19, though without specifying changes.
The attack involved Lawrence Reed, who allegedly doused passenger Bethany MaGee with petrol, chased her through the train car, and set her on fire before walking away. Reed, later arrested, has been charged with committing a terrorist attack and has a criminal history spanning more than 60 cases since 1993. He was on electronic monitoring at the time, and Molinaro criticised his release as evidence of systemic failures. Pritzker’s office pointed to a recent bill creating a transit safety task force, though it has not yet been enacted.
Meanwhile, Trump’s administration has continued broader criticism of Chicago, recently withholding billions for infrastructure projects amid escalating tensions with the governor.
Lawrence Reed set Bethany MaGee on fire aboard a Chicago train.(Facebook/ Bethany MaGee and Chicago PD)
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